Ironically, this diet isn't too far off the diet I've formulated for optimal nutrition, which is based on substantial literature review.

In terms of optimal nutrition, the core of the diet I've come upon is:

* Lentils/split peas - the core of the diet, high in fermentable fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals

* Yogurt - inexpensive source of high quality protein, vitamin d and calcium, the basis for smoothies

* Sauerkraut - cheap, filling, acts as a probiotic which when paired with lentils ensures a lactobacillus dominant microbiome.

* Eggs - cheap source of high quality protein, omega-6 essential fatty acids, vitamin d & e.

* Seeds - mostly chia and hemp, but sunflower and pumpkin are really good as well. These satisfy your omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acid requirements and are loaded with minerals. If you skip out on spinach and buy cheap eggs with low vitamin E content then sunflower seeds are excellent.

I also eat a lot of berries (frozen, in smoothies), whey protein and lean pork/chicken, though these are less important in my opinion.

An additional health hack that I highly recommend is to consume a lot of vinegar. The putative health benefits of alcohol are almost certainly due to its metabolism into acetate. By consuming vinegar directly, you skip the production of acetaldehyde (which has been linked to DNA damage). My favorite way to consume vinegar is by pickling vegetables in a vinegar solution, then using them as garnishes to add flavor to meals.

While I understand many people don't put a lot of stock in anecdotal reports, this diet paired with a bodybuilder lifestyle keeps me around 220lbs @ ~12% bodyfat which is quite exceptional considering I'm 6' tall, and naturally obese if I don't watch my diet.